Ingredients

Ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter
6 sweet potatoes (Garnet and Jewel varieties are always sweet)
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
6 T maple syrup (the real stuff from Vermont or Canada is worth the cost)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400F

Melt the butter and brush sweet potatoes generously, then season them with salt and pepper. Set remaining butter aside.

Place pecans on a pie tin and toast for abut four minutes, or until they smell toasty, just don't let them turn dark brown, about 4 minutes. Set pecans aside.

Bake the sweet potatoes until they have browned slightly and test with a sharp paring knife to be sure they are very tender. This should take 40 minutes to 1 hr. depending on their size.

Warm the remaining butter with the maple syrup and the cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Cut a slit lengthwise in each sweet potato and press inward from each end so they open a little. Spoon a tablespoon of the maple butter into each sweet potato and top with the toasted pecans. Serve immediately.

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